Conducting a descriptive survey: 1. Planning the survey

The prevalence of depression in two districts of Uganda

BACKGROUND

Little information is available on the prevalence of depression in Uganda. Given the recent political history of Uganda, depression may be common.

METHOD

The aim was to estimate the point prevalence of probable clinical depressive disorder among the general population in two contrasting districts of Uganda. Translated versions (in Madi and Lusoga) of the 13-item Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were administered to a systematic sample of adult residents in the Adjumani and Bugiri districts of Uganda.

RESULTS

The overall prevalence of probably clinically significant depression (BDI score of 20-39) was 17.4%. Significantly higher rates were found in women and in Adjumani District.

CONCLUSION

Depression is common in Uganda and particularly in the more troubled and less socially cohesive district of Adjumani.

Prevalence of suicide ideation in two districts of Uganda

Suicide ideation is common in all communities but research on suicidal behavior in Sub-Saharan Africa is scarce. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of self-reported suicidal ideation in two contrasting districts of Uganda. The method employed was a systematic sample of 939 respondents residing in Adjumani and Bugiri districts, using the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSS). Results indicated a higher rate of suicidal ideation in females, the unemployed and in Adjumani district. Consistent with other international studies, high rates of suicidal ideation were found in the Ugandan population. The higher prevalence of suicide ideation in the Adjumani District appears to be a symptom of psychosocial distress related to many years of social and political turmoil and the poor socio-economic conditions. In-depth observational studies are needed to fully understand the process of suicide ideation in Uganda.